“I want one on my desk at seven o’clock tomorrow morning.”

| April 17, 2022

Here’s a little Easter present for our current/former military aviator readers.

The title will make more sense after you’ve viewed the clip. IMO it’s eminently worth the 5-6 min of your time required.

Remember: you can do anything . . . once. Enjoy.

 

 

Freakin’ avaitors – ya gotta love ’em.

And yeah, it was probably worth it. (smile)

Category: Historical, Who knows

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KoB

Soooo…did he get lucky and fly into Ms ATC Thang’s danger zone? Or did he have to put his lustful thoughts on ice, man? He’s lucky the Colonel didn’t lose that loving feeling and cook his goose.

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AW1Ed

Somewhere a slit trench is crying to be dug.

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Roh-Dog

Take it easy, Ed. Reb just felt the need, the need for speed.

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rgr769

Hondo, thanks for the audio link. Great story. The SR-71 is one of my favorite aircraft. My instrument rating flight instructor was a retired USAF LTC whose last flying assignment was as an SR-71 at Beale AFB.

When I was awaiting an SF officer school slot back in 1970, I was assigned to the 10th SF Group S-2 section. Since I had little to occupy my time, I used to read stuff in the Top Secret walk-in safe in the basement. Among the many docs therein was the classified journal of the CIA. It was a publication where their people could publish classified stories of historical interest. I read with great fascination how Groom Lake (Area 51)’s base was selected and built to test the U-2 and later the SR-71. The SR was operated for over six years and no one knew it existed. When the media discovered it, one was flown to Edwards AFB, painted with AF markings, and unveiled as a new high altitude interceptor. That was the Agency’s cover story. I was total bunk.

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Hondo

Yep. Ben Rich covered that in some detail in his autobiograpy titled Skunk Works. Great book.

Four other points of interest regarding the A-12/SR-71 “family” of aircraft.

  1. The original version was NOT the 2-seat SR-71. The CIA’s version was a single-seat aircraft, the A-12 (12th and final major design revision). It was lighter and faster than the USAF’s SR-71.
  2. LeMay was responsible for the USAF getting the SR-71. He heard about the CIA’s version and decided the USAF needed it – but as a 2-seater. Strike, recon, and interceptor versions were planned. Only the recon version entered the USAF inventory.
  3. A couple of prototypes of the interceptor version – the YF-12A – were actually built. I believe one still exists today at the USAF Museum at Wright-Pat.
  4. The SR-71 actually got it’s nomenclature by accident. It was originally to be designated “RS-71” (recon/strike). However, when LBJ publicly announced it, he screwed up and announced it as the SR-71. That designation stuck.
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AW1Ed

If that wasn’t exactly true, it ought to have been.

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CDR D

Great story! Thanks for posting.

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